John Hannan was born in Killarney, Ireland, in 1840 to John Hannan and Margaret Butler (my great great great grandparents) and was baptised Roman Catholic on 6 December 1840.

He shifted to Limerick and there he met Margaret Walsh who was four years younger than him.  They married and are my great great grandparents.

They started their family while still living in Limerick, first came Mary in 1866, followed by Margaret in 1870.  They took up the opportunity for assisted emigration to New Zealand, sponsored by another family member already in Dunedin (possibly the Hannan family – Catherine, Honor and Thomas who are buried at the Otokia Cemetery in Henley).

They sailed on the ship “Corona” leaving London on 22 May 1874 and arrived into Otago on 28 August.  Margaret was pregnant at the time and fifty five days into the voyage Catherine was born – 16 July 1874.

There is a record of Margaret Hannan passing away 4 December 1874 at the age of four and is buried at the old Port Chalmers Cemetery.

After settling into Dunedin they have three more children – John (1877-1877), Annie (1879-?) and Bridget (1883-?).  Further tragedy came for the family when baby John passed away at 9 months of age.

John Hannan passed away 21 August 1892 and is buried at the Southern Cemetery.

Margaret and the four girls lived in Manor Place and had jobs as tailors and machinists. Catherine married James Osborne Burk in 1898 (my great grandparents) and lived in Blacks Rd Opoho.  The remainder of the Hannan family shifted to 27 Grange St until Margaret passed away on 19 July 1905.

She is buried at the Southern Cemetery with husband John and two of their children John and Mary (who passed away 3 October 1910). Block 47R. Plot 1B